Organ stop or coupler actuating means



Sept. 1, 1931. D. s. BARROWS ORGAN STOP OR COUPLER ACTUATING MEANS Filed Dec. 1. 1930 which they are respectively a part.

Patented Sept. 1, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE DONALD S. BARROWS, OF ROCHESTER, NEXV YORK ORGAN STOP OR GQUPLER ACTUATING MEANS Application filed December 1, 1930; Serial No. 499,351.

players hand, that is to say, simply by the application of pressure directly either upon the face of an upward projecting portion or upon a lower key or tongue portion, without its being necessary, although possible, to apply a lifting pressure from beneath said tongue portion.

It is well known that the stop or coupler actuating means of an organ were commonly constructed in the form of draw knobs. Obviously a draw knob requires two distinct movements. It must be pulled out to draw on the stop or coupler, and pushed back to throw off the stop or coupler. A later development is in the form of generally rectangular tilting tablets, pivotally mounted at th .ir centers, so that by the application of pressure at the bottom ortop, they may be tilted forward or backward and thereby draw on or throw oif thestop or coupler mechanisms of These simple tablets however, although in extensive use as coupler actuating means, possess certain disadvantages in that their regular surfaces do not indicate to the sense of touch the port-ion of the'tablet which the player desires to press, and that the players lingers may inadvertently slip off. Tablets have been made with terminal ridges at top and bottom and also with longitudinal grooves, but that neither of these features alone or in combination meet the requirements of the player is evidenced by the obsolescence of these variants from the straight face tablet. Likewise the increased use of straight projecting stop keys or tongues over that of the draw knobs and plain tablets indicates the defects of the latter two.

It is with the above facts in view that I have devised the present invention which comprises broadly the provision of a novel design or form of stop key which may be roughly described either as a conventional stop key having an added upper projection portion adapted to throw the key into the off position by simple pressure thereon, or as a a tablet having an angularly formed face, so that the respective inclinations of the lower and upper portions are at normal and convenient angles to the direction of movement of the players fingers when throwing the tablet or key into the on or oif positions respectively, thereby avoiding the danger of the fingers slipping off as above set forth, and providing further a central portion which affords to the sense oftouch a definite division r demarcation between the on and 01f pres sure surfaces of the face, thereby contributing greatly to the accuracy and speed of the players movements.

Another important and characteristic feature of my invention lies in the fact that with keys or tablets formed in accordance therewith, the player may, by a single movement of the hand, simultaneously throw some keys into their on positions and other keys into 75 then: off positions, the indivldual pressure faces being in each case at the most convenient angle and most nearly normal to the general direct-ion of movement of the players hand.

The exact type or method of mounting my improved key or tablet is immaterial, as this depends upon the type of mechanism to be operated, but it may be mounted as simply e I" and as inexpensively as any other. It is also 8 of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a plurality of the stop keys or tablets with the performers hand in the act of making changes in the registration,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view giving a side elevation of one of the keys or tablets and illustrating one type of operating mechanism connected therewith,

Figure 8 is a similar view showing a slightly modified form of k y or talet, particularly in so far as its mounting is concerned, and disclosing it as adapted for combinational actuation by bellows or pneumatics of the pressure type,

Figure l is a fragmentary view showing he tail of the key or tablet when it is to be operated or moved through combinational action by pneumatics of the suction or exhaust type,

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view showing the tail of the key as forming a circuit closer or a part of a switch for electrical operation of stop or coupler action.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view showing one of many ways of arranging the key or tablet to operate stop or coupler action pneumatically instead of electrically.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, and especially Figure 1 it will be 013 served that l have disclosed a series of stop keys or tablets 1 constructed in accordance with my invention. These keys are located at the usual place on an organ console and are intended to take the place of and perform the same functions as the ordinary type of knob, key or ta let, in that they control the actuation. of stop or coupler mechanism, and 0ptionally and additionally, the setting or pre arrangement of registration combinations and may in turn be actuated or moved by any of the various well known types of combination mechanism. In Figures 1 and 2 each of these keys or tablets 10 is represented as comprising a. siangular body member or key 11 having an upwardly projecting portion 13 and pivoted at 12 for vertical swinging movement. l Vhen the body 11 is described as angular, it is meant tiat there are two actuating or pressure receivingsurfaces 13 and 14 at an a le to each other. it b 9: considered immr at exactly how the key is mechanically con? ructed so as to bring abou this desired condition. The key may be builtup into the desired form from two or more parts permanently or removably secured together in any convenient manner. The surface 13 the upper end of the body or above the pivot 12 whereas the surface 14 is below the pivot and it therefore apparent all it requires to move the l, in the two possible directions is a simple pressure applied either above or below the pivot,

thereby making it possible for a performer to move or shift any desired number of such keys or tablets either into the oil or on position by the same general motion of the fingers, this quite logically reducing the effort required and consequently speeding up the changing of registration. Actually the key or tablet is represented as having its face concaved at 15, the curve of the concavity merging into the lower actuating surface 14 and ending at the surface 18, the idea being that a performer under the necessity of making hurried changes in registration may do so by subconsciously locating the desired pressure surfaces by their relation to the central concavity 15.

Figure 2 shows the upper arm or end of the key or tablet as having pivotally connected therewith, at 16, a push and pull rod 17 leadin g to wh atevermechanismis to be controlled, it being considered unnecessary to provide any thorough showing thereof.

In Figure 3 I have illustrated a slightly different form of key or tablet 18, in so far as its mounting and operation are concerned. In this modification the key is shown as simply notched at 19 for rocking engagement upon a rod or pintle 20. Furthermore instead of the push and pull rod 17 there is disclosed a tail 21 or rod which projects rearwardly from the key and which extends between a pair of pneumatics or bellows 22 of the compression type. WVhen the key 18 and tail 21. are respectively in the positions shown in full lines, air under pressure admitted through the combination mechanism into lower bellows 22 expands same, thereby forcing tail 21 up and key 18 down into the on position, as indicated by dot and dash lines. Conversely pressure air similarlyadmitted into upper bellows 22 will force down tail 21 and restore key 18 to the OE position. A bow spring 23 is providedand operates to maintain the key or tablet 18 in either of its selected positions, one of which is shown by full lines and the other by dot and dash lines. Clearly, there is no restriction as to the embodiment of the invention in a control system in which the pneumatics are of the compression type, and in Figure 1 there is illustrated a variation in which the tail 24, corresponding to the tail 21 and operated in the same manner, is moved by the horns or arms 25 on bellows or pneumatics 26 of the suction or exhaust type. It is obvious that any convenient actuating means may be used to effect key movement in connection with combinations], changes in registration, and that the rear portion of the key may be formed for direct or indirect actuation by pressure, exhaust, electromagnets or mechanical means. I the efore do not limit the use of my invention to any particular auxiliary mechanism, whether mentioned or illustrated herein or not.

Figure 5 shows a common method of utilizing the metallic tail of the key as a switch or circuit closer for primary electrical actuation of stop, coupler or other organ mechanism. It is obvious that any convenient portion of the key may be thus utilized.

In Figure 6 I have also shown one of the many methods whereby the key may operate stop, coupler or other organ mechanism pneumatically, by providing that the key may in its two positions alternately uncover and close an airport such as 29, thereby actuating certain other pneumatic mechanism.

While I have shown and described a number of alternative constructions or mountings of the key and several different types of de Vices to be actuated thereby, or which may operate said key, and a certain definite shape of the active face of the key itself, it should be understood that the disclosure is merely an exemplification of the general underlying or fundamental features and that I reserve the right to make all such changes in the details as will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. An organ control element having finger pressure receiving surfaces located at an angle with respect to each other.

2. An organ control element mounted for pivotal movement and provided at opposite sides of its pivot with finger pressure receiving surfaces arranged at an angle with respect to each other.

3. A pivoted organ control element provided at its upper and lower end portions with pressure receiving surfaces at opposite sides of a substantially central concavity.

4. An organ control element comprising a pivotally mounted body member having its face concaved to define spaced pressure receiving surfaces arranged at an angle to each other.

5. An organ control element comprising a pivotally mounted body member formed sul stantially centrally with a curved concavity and provided at opposite sides thereof and adjacent its ends with flat surfaces arranged at anangle to each other and adapted to have pressure applied thereto.

6. An organ control key having a plurality of angularly related finger pressure receiving surfaces whereby to be movable in a selected one of a plurality of directions by the same character of movement.

7. An organ console stop key comprising a pivotally mounted body formed at opposite sides of a plane passing through the pivot with angularly related finger pressure receiving surfaces.

8. An organ console stop key comprising a pivotally mounted body formed at opposite sides of a plane passing through the pivot with angularly related finger pressure receiving surfaces arranged in outwardly diverging relation.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature.

DONALD S. BARROWS. 

